Spasmodic Dysphonia Bulletin Board

Many people with vocal cord dysfunction (VCD), also known as paradoxical vocal cord motion (PVCM), are incorrectly diagnosed with asthma. VCD causes wheezing, breathing problems, and mimics many of the symptoms of asthma. I was diagnosed with asthma by an ENT unfamiliar with vocal disorders and prescribed therapy with bronchodilators, oxygen, and corticosteroids, which were completely ineffective. I was later correctly diagnosed with VCD by my Speech Language Pathologist/Therapist and Primary Care Physician.

The easiest way to describe it is that it feels like you can’t breathe or get in enough air. The symptoms are the result of an abnormal closing of the vocal cords rather than inflammation of the airways, which causes asthma.

It's always there, but sometimes it gets worse. It’s an awful feeling. The best thing for me to do is try to relax and breathe in through my nose.

It makes sense that VCD would be seen in patients who suffer from Spasmodic Dysphonia – both abductor and adductor, as all the same neurological factors and muscles are involved. Like with SD, many different treatments options are used to help those with VCD.

Most VCD cases are seen in conjunction with other medical issues. The various causes can include: upper respiratory infections, cortical injury, brainstem compression, conversion disorder, brainstem abnormalities, neurological disorders, cystic fibrosis, stroke, ALS, encephalopathy, GERD, and irritant or chemical exposure. Irritants such as ammonia, chlorine, cleaning chemicals, organic solvents, flux flames, and smoke have been linked to the onset of VCD.

There is a lot of information on the Internet, especially research work performed by the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine and also the University of Texas Medical Branch. Here are a couple of links.

http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/vcd/about.aspx

http://www.utmb.edu/otoref/Grnds/Vocal-Cord-2001-07/VCD-2.htm

I hope this helps.